Osun State IRS Seals Off OAU Over N1.8Bn Debt

Osun State IRS Seals Off OAU Over N1.8Bn Debt

The Osun State Internal Revenue Service on Wednesday sealed off the main gate and administrative block of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife over an alleged non-payment of about N1.8bn tax.

Concise News learnt that the officials of the agency and some security men stormed the school after securing a court order.

“Officials of the Osun State revenue agency sealed off our main gate and the secretariat and the other places this morning. They came together with armed policemen and civil defence operatives,” an official of the school who craved anonymity told Punch.

“They closed the main gate and some members of staff, commercial bus drivers and business operators, especially food vendors and others became agitated and this led to a serious crisis. The gate was eventually opened but other places remained closed.”

The Vice-Chancellor Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede confirmed the development, saying, “It is true they sealed off the place. The truth is that there was a backlog of 2015 and 2016 and we have agreed to be paying N5m every month. We paid N500m and agreed to be paying N5 m every month.

“But from January 2017, we have been paying our normal PAYE deductions every month which is thirty something million, we have been paying. So, we are going to negotiate with them again on it.

“The backlog was caused by under-deduction of PAYE. We have not reneged on any of our obligations since 2017. I am confident that this issue will be resolved.

“The Governing Council of the university met with Governor Rauf Aregbesola in March on the same issue and he understood the reason and our pledge to pay it every month.”